Celebrity Traitors: The Show Where Fame Takes A Backseat

Welcome to the World of Celebrity Traitors

Two years in the making and with buzz that rivals the World Fair, Celebrity Traitors has finally hit our screens. It's a wild mix of personalities, featuring everyone from the witty and nervy Jonathan Ross to the sharp and clever Celia Imrie and the delightfully deadpan Joe Wilkinson. But don't let their celebrity status fool you – here, they're not contestants; they're players in a game.

In typical celebrity show fashion, you'd expect a range of has-beens and wannabes, but this lineup is surprisingly top-tier. So why are they doing it? Most of them aren't in it for the exposure, and the prize money is for charity. Perhaps they're as captivated by the moral dilemmas of the game as everyone else. From the get-go, it's clear they're all in, like people who don't have an image to uphold.

“We’re all Faithfuls or Traitors, and that’s all there is to it,” Stephen Fry astutely sums up the essence of the show.

The Alan Carr Factor

The real star move was casting Alan Carr as the third Traitor. His fellow participants' faces said it all – they knew this would be a wild ride. Carr is giddy, loud, and excitable, making it hard to imagine him hiding his mischievous nature. Yet, maybe that's his secret weapon.

Despite Carr's dramatic flair, the most eye-opening part of Celebrity Traitors is how everyone's fame seems utterly pointless. Content creator Niko Omilana's YouTube likes and David Olusoga's book sales hold no weight here.

When Fame Fizzles Out

Clare Balding might flawlessly recount a tennis match point by point, but when it comes to sneaking a Trojan horse through a locked gate, she's so ineffective that others suspect her of sabotage. Meanwhile, Charlotte Church, known for singing arias for popes, becomes suspected of treachery when she selflessly relinquishes her protective shield. One might be rubbish, the other heroic, but both could face elimination soon.

And those deep-dive chats around the reality TV fireplace? They lack their usual depth. Who cares about Tom Daley's fame at 14 when we're more concerned about whether he'll be murdered, betrayed, or turned by nightfall? Stephen Fry, having experienced both imprisonment and knighthood, enters the castle with a simple truth: "We’re all Faithfuls or Traitors, and that’s all there is to it."

The game is a test of humanity, not hierarchy. The deeper we go, the less their celebrity status matters. Just don't let their agents know.

Catch Celebrity Traitors tonight at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Add it to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features, and more.